Women at the Bar. Prepared by the Research Department

Transcription

1 Women at the Bar July 2016 Prepared by the Research Department 1

2 Contents 1. Executive Summary Introduction Profile of Respondents Work Allocation Flexible Working Maternity/Parental Leave Recruitment Equality and Harassment Policies Experience of Harassment Experience of Discrimination Culture & Work Environment Views on the Equality Rules Retention Summary and Conclusions Annex A..59 2

3 Executive Summary The Equality Rules of the BSB Handbook 1 came into force on 1 September The Rules apply to self-employed barristers in multi-tenant chambers and include requirements to: o o o o o Produce an equality policy and action plan Appoint an equality and diversity officer and a diversity data officer Ensure chambers' selection panels are trained in fair recruitment Conduct diversity monitoring and analyse the data and Produce anti-harassment, flexible working, parental leave and reasonable adjustments policies. This research was carried out to improve the Bar Standards Board s knowledge of the implementation and effectiveness of the Equality Rules and to explore issues which may be contributing towards a lack of retention of female barristers. This research used an online survey sent to all currently practising female barristers, which was completed by 1,333 respondents. As those who responded may not be representative of all female barristers, the findings may not be generalizable to the whole of the female Bar. However, the response rate to the survey was high (close to one in four of the practising female Bar responded) and the profile of respondents is representative of the overall population on most key indicators (such as ethnicity, age and year of call). Work Allocation The findings suggest that awareness of work allocation monitoring appears low. When respondents had queried work allocation, many had been satisfied with the response but others were not, with a lack of transparency the most common issue. Flexible Working Awareness of flexible working policies among survey respondents appears substantially better than that surrounding the monitoring of work allocation and policies were generally rated highly by those aware of them. Experiences of flexible working appear to be mixed. For many, flexible working works well, but others raised issues that had led to a negative impact on their practice (such as an impact on work allocation or progression) or had prevented them from flexible working in the first place. Recruitment The findings suggest that recruitment is generally seen as fair, and a large majority of chambers have implemented fair recruitment training. Equality Policies The findings suggest the vast majority of chambers have equality policies in place, and awareness of equality policies amongst survey respondents is high. Awareness 1 The Rules can be found 3

4 of harassment policies, however, is substantially lower. Both equality and harassment policies are rated highly by those aware of them. Maternity/Parental Leave The research findings suggest that awareness of maternity/parental leave policies is high, with little evidence of widespread non-compliance with the requirement to have a maternity/parental leave policy. Policies were generally rated positively. However, many felt that taking maternity/parental leave had had a negative impact upon their practice, with impacts on work allocation, progression and income highlighted. Responses also highlighted negative attitudes towards those returning from maternity leave as hindering a successful return to practice. Harassment Two in every five respondents said they had suffered harassment 2 at the Bar, with only a small proportion (one in five) reporting it. The findings suggest that the percentage of women having experienced harassment is very similar for all those called to the Bar over the last 15 years although the figure is higher for those with over 15 years call. Concern about the impact on their career was the most common reason cited by respondents for not reporting harassment, with prevailing attitudes at the Bar towards harassment and/or the reporting of harassment also a common reason for not reporting. Half of those survey participants who did report harassment were not satisfied with the response. Discrimination More than two in every five respondents stated they had experienced discrimination 3, again with only one in five reporting it. Responses suggest that discrimination from clerks or in the allocation of work more generally may be seen as particularly prevalent. Concern about the potential impact on their career, and prevailing attitudes within the legal profession, were the most common reasons respondents gave for not reporting discrimination. Among those who had reported discrimination, the majority were not satisfied with the response. Retention Some findings within this research suggest that the Equality Rules are having an impact in some areas (for example support before and during maternity/parental leave, higher reporting of harassment) and for some respondents. However, most survey respondents did not feel the Rules have as yet had a significant impact in terms of supporting their careers. A large majority of survey respondents had contemplated leaving the Bar. Respondents were more likely to consider leaving the Bar if they also said that they 2 Harassment covers a range of behaviours as defined in the Equality Act A full definition is given in paragraph 78 of this report. 3 Discrimination covers a range of behaviours as defined in the Equality Act A full definition is given on paragraph 94 of this report. 4

5 had experienced discrimination or harassment, if they were BME, or if they had primary caring responsibilities for children. In order to improve the retention of women at the Bar the report highlights the need to: o address and change elements of the culture of the Bar and legal profession o improve compliance with and awareness of the Equality Rules, and o provide more support, in particular around childcare responsibilities and flexible working. 5

6 Introduction 1. The Bar Standards Board is responsible for establishing and implementing a range of regulatory measures to ensure that standards at the Bar are maintained. One of the key regulatory objectives is encouraging an independent, strong, diverse and effective legal profession The extent to which women are represented within the membership of the Bar is a growing conversation in the profession and wider society and has been highlighted as an issue in the BSB s Equality and Diversity strategy 5 and objectives 6. The Equality Rules were introduced by the BSB, in part, to improve the progression and retention of women at the Bar. 3. The Equality Rules of the BSB Handbook came into force on 1 September Prior to 2012 the rules were not mandatory. They apply to self-employed barristers in multitenant chambers and BSB authorised bodies only and include requirements to: Produce an equality policy and action plan Appoint an equality and diversity officer and appoint a diversity data officer Ensure chambers' selection panels are trained in fair recruitment Conduct diversity monitoring and analyse data Monitor and review distribution of work opportunities Produce anti-harassment, flexible working, parental leave (including rent relief) and reasonable adjustments policies. 4. The implementation of the Equality Rules is monitored by the BSB s Supervision department. Since 2013 three reports have been produced in relation to the supervision of equality and diversity. One exercise in 2014, which solely focused on the Equality Rules, found that only 19% of the selected chambers were fully compliant with all the rules. A further 31% of chambers were found to be compliant but needing improvements. So in total 50% of chambers were found non-compliant with some or all of the rules. The exercise showed that the rules still present significant challenges for the profession but focused simply on whether chambers had complied with the rules. It did not cover the experiences of barristers or how the policies we require are put into practice. Research Background 5. The current data the Bar Standards Board holds on women in the profession shows that in 2015, 33.5% of the self-employed profession were women. This has increased from 32% in the 6 years since Of employed barristers, in % of employed barristers were female. This proportion is higher than for the self-employed Bar. The BSB Equality and Diversity Committee has particularly highlighted the rate of access and progression in the profession as a concern only 15% of heads of chambers and 13% of QCs are women, considerably lower than the proportion of women across the profession as a whole. Data on the practising Bar show that women have a far higher 4 Section 1 (1)(f) Legal Services Act / %E2%80%93-publication-of-equality-objectives/ 7 6

7 rate of attrition than men, with the proportion of women consistently falling as seniority (by year of Call) increases. 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% The Practising Bar in % 5+ Years of Call 10+ Years of Call 15+ years of Call 20+ Years of Call 25+ Years of Call 30+ Years of Call Female Male Source Bar Standards Board records 6. A report for the Bar Council 8 found that individual chambers culture and policies had a huge impact on the experience of women at the Bar who were bringing up children. Participants in the Bar Council s research also talked about being disadvantaged by power structures within chambers. Younger women discussed how intimidating it was to challenge chambers decisions on policy, practice and, particularly, rent arrangements. They explained how a personal interest in, for example, tapering arrangements or maternity/parental policies meant they felt vulnerable and likely to have to defend themselves against accusations of self-interest when discussing such issues. Generally, participants felt the BSB s Equality Rules had supported fairer treatment, including in access to work, and that women had benefited; but that there was still often a gap between policy and practice. They suggested that in their experience the real challenge was implementing fair policies, particularly when times are hard and chambers finances are under pressure. 7. Research for the Bar Council 9 found that notwithstanding the current parity in the numbers of men and women called to the Bar, current trends suggest that with the present model of practice at the Bar a 50:50 gender balance among all practising barristers is unlikely ever to be achieved. This is for two reasons - women have a lower propensity to move from Call to practice, and a higher attrition rate once in practice. The attrition is such that it would require a very long period of substantial imbalance in favour of women at Call to achieve a balance of women in practice. 8. The Bar Council s ongoing Change of Status survey has been sent to all barristers changing their practising status since December As of December 2015, it had 8 _the_experience_of_self_employed_women_at_the_bar.pdf 9 summary_report_july_2015.pdf 7

8 received 825 responses. The survey reveals significant differences between female and male barristers in a number of areas female barristers changing their practising status are far more likely to have caring responsibilities for children (43.2% vs 13.8% of men) and to say that having children has had an adverse effect on their career (69.7% of women and 39% of men). Women changing their status are more likely to be family law practitioners (23.4% of women and 7.6% of men), an area of law that has been significantly affected by legal aid cuts. Finally, women are far more likely than men to cite family reasons for changing status, both the difficulty of balancing work and family commitments (17.4% of women compared to 5.3% of men) or a desire to spend more time with family (24.3% of women compared to 3.7% of men). Research Objectives 9. The BSB is committed to becoming more evidence- and risk-based in all that it does. Following the introduction of the Equality Rules, the BSB was keen to determine how effectively the rules were working and to what extent they were achieving their objectives. The monitoring undertaken by the Supervision Team focused on compliance with the Equality Rules; whether a chambers had specific policies and action plans. There was a need to look further than compliance and assess how these policies are put into practice. 10. The key objective of this research was to look into the impacts the Equality Rules have had for women at the Bar. This was to contribute to on-going efforts to address gender inequality faced by women at the Bar, to ensure compliance with the Equality Rules, and to explore gender anti-discriminatory practices within the profession. 11. The objectives of the research were: to investigate women s perceptions and experiences of the current equality rules, and; to better understand the perceived structural and cultural barriers to progression and retention of women at the Bar. Methodology and Limitations 12. The research used an online survey comprised of both multiple choice and open text responses (a copy of the survey questions is included in Annex A). The survey was hosted online on the SurveyMonkey website, and was launched on 12 January 2016 and left open for responses until 9 February The link to the survey was ed to all female barristers with an active practising certificate, with a reminder being sent a week before the survey closed. 13. The survey was undertaken by 1,333 respondents, compared to 5,667 female barristers with an active practising certificate at the time the survey was launched. This represents 23.5% of the practising female Bar. 14. The sample was self-selecting rather than random due to the nature of the online survey methodology. As a result, it is impossible to rule out non-response bias 10, and the profile and experiences of the survey respondents may not be representative of the whole population of female barristers. Instead, they should be treated as indicative of the experience of the female Bar rather than as a statistically representative sample. 10 Non-response bias occurs when those that respond to a survey are not representative of the population as a whole. 8

9 15. The survey directed respondents through questions relevant to their own situation, and as a result not all respondents answered all questions. Numbers of respondents for each question are included below the charts within the report. 16. Where differences are described as significant, this indicates that they have been tested and found to be statistically significant at least at the 5% significance level (the standard significance level for social research). For the purposes of the analyses carried out in this report, statistical significance indicates that differences for responses between groups are larger than can reasonably be expected to result from chance occurrence. 17. Qualitative responses (open text answers) were analysed using a thematic analysis approach. This involves identifying the key themes that emerge from the data that have relevance to the research question or topic of interest through careful reading of the data. Each question response is then coded if it is judged to refer to a particular theme. Responses were coded using the NVivo software package. 18. Quotations have been selected to be illustrative of the key themes and issues raised in responses to certain questions, while being used in a way that preserves the anonymity of respondents. They do not represent the full range of experiences or opinions expressed by respondents to the survey. 9

10 Profile of Respondents 19. A limitation of the methodology used for this research was that the sample was selfselecting (see paragraph 14). One way of addressing concerns that the sample is not representative of the overall population is to investigate the extent to which the profile of respondents matches the overall population for indicators where the percentages for the population as a whole are known. The closer the sample corresponds with the overall population, the greater the level of confidence that the survey findings are representative. 20. The majority (78.4%) of the survey respondents were self-employed barristers in chambers (this compares to 72.3% of the practising female Bar). Employed barristers made up 14.5% of respondents (compared to 23.4% of the practising female Bar). The proportion of sole practitioners and dual capacity barristers were similar to their proportions in the population of female barristers as a whole. However, a larger proportion of survey respondents were Queen s Counsel (7%) than the proportion in the population of female Bar (where 3.7% are QCs). Sample Practising female Bar Practising Status Self-employed barrister in Chambers 79.6% 72.3% Sole Practitioner 3.3% 3.1% Employed barrister 15.2% 23.4% Dual Capacity barrister 1.1% 1.1% Registered European Lawyer 0.2% 0.1% Prefer not to say 0.7% N/A Seniority Third Six Pupil 0.5% 0.9% Junior Barrister 92.5% 95.4% QC 7.0% 3.7% 21. In terms of year of Call of respondents, the survey was representative of the female Bar, with only minor differences between the practising female Bar and the survey sample. 25% Comparison by Year of Call 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 0-4 Years 5-9 Years Years Years Years 25+ years Whole Female Bar Survey sample 10

11 22. In terms of ethnicity, the sample was broadly representative of the female Bar 78.4% of respondents were white, 13.3% were BME, and 8.4% did not provide their ethnicity (the corresponding figures for the whole female Bar are 79.2%, 11.9% and 8.8%). Similarly, for age the sample was also representative of the female Bar (see table below). For other equality and diversity indicators, the reporting rate for the Bar as a whole is too low to enable valid comparisons. 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% Comparison by Age 0% < Prefer not to say / Not provided Sample Practising female Bar 23. The indicators therefore suggest while in many areas, the makeup of survey respondents is representative of the makeup of the female Bar as a whole, in some areas (in particular the under-representation of employed barristers and the overrepresentation of Queen s Counsel) the survey sample is not representative. This should be taken into account when interpreting the results of the survey. 11

12 Work Allocation Monitoring Key Findings - Work Allocation Awareness of the allocation of unassigned work within chambers is low, with more than half of survey respondents not aware whether their chambers monitors work allocation. Even when they were aware that monitoring was in place, a substantial proportion of respondents did not personally engage with the process. While many responses stated monitoring worked well, others cited issues around a lack of transparency, favouritism, and the difficulty of monitoring effectively as issues. The majority of respondents had not queried the allocation of work within their chambers. Where respondents had queried the allocation of work, responses were evenly divided between positive and negative experiences. The majority of those who were satisfied with the results of their query cited a satisfactory explanation of how work was allocated or an improvement in the work they received. For those who were not satisfied with the response to their query, a lack of transparency was the most common issue. Some respondents felt the querying of work allocation resulted in a change for the worse. 24. The Equality Rules in the BSB Handbook require all chambers to review the allocation of unassigned work regularly. Work monitoring is an active exercise to identify discrepancies in how work is being allocated within chambers and BSB authorised bodies. The review should include collecting and analysing data broken down by race, disability and gender, investigating the reasons for any disparities in that data and taking appropriate remedial action. Work is unassigned if at any point of enquiry, and/or at the point at which it is sent into chambers or the BSB authorised body, the person instructing does not state that it is to be assigned to a named member of chambers. 25. The survey asked respondents whether their chambers monitored the allocation of unassigned work and their experiences of work allocation monitoring. The work allocation questions were asked of all respondents who currently work in chambers. 52.2% did not know whether their chambers monitored the allocation of unassigned work or not. Of those who were aware of their chambers policy, most said that their chambers did monitor the allocation of unassigned work. Awareness of work allocation monitoring differed significantly by year of Call, with more senior respondents more likely to be aware of work allocation monitoring 71.6% of those under five years of Call answered don t know to this question in contrast to 45.1% of those over 25 years of Call. 12

13 Does your chambers monitor the allocation of unassigned work? Don't know No Yes 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% N= When asked about their personal experiences relating to work allocation monitoring, over two fifths of respondents stated they did not have personal experience of work allocation monitoring, either because their current chambers did not have policies in place, or that they were not aware or had not queried how work was allocated. For those with personal experience of monitoring, responses were closely divided between those who were broadly positive about the process, and those who were negative, with a slightly larger proportion giving positive experiences than negative. 27. More than a quarter of answers relating to personal experiences of work monitoring cited negative experiences. For those who had had negative experiences, issues with a lack of transparency, even where policies were in place, were raised by a number of respondents. Indeed, a lack of transparency was mentioned by a number of respondents even when they had not personally had negative experiences of work allocation. In addition, a number of respondents cited issues of favouritism from clerks or management towards certain barristers which undermined the implementation of monitoring policies. I have never seen any evidence or data generated in connection with work allocation monitoring and the culture in chambers doesn't prioritise this. Self-employed barrister It appears that this is kept a secret and down to those who are in management committee and senior clerks to decide who is in favour and who is not. Self-employed barrister The male members of chambers take the (all male) clerks for a drink and that informal friendly relationship percolates through to the work environment and work allocation. Selfemployed barrister 28. Those who had positive experiences of work allocation monitoring made up close to a third of those who responded to this question. A number of respondents had personal involvement in the review or dissemination of the results of work monitoring. It is monitored fairly, rigorously, and in a transparent way. We are provided with spreadsheets at practice reviews demonstrating the results of the monitoring. Selfemployed barrister I was work allocation monitor in chambers for 4 years. Work is allocated fairly and the clerks make every effort to ensure that all members of chambers are kept employed to the extent that they want to be. Self-employed Queen s Counsel 29. Other issues mentioned by respondents were that the effective monitoring of work allocation was difficult to implement, and that unassigned work was not the key issue, either because the majority of work that came in was for named barristers, or because 13

14 the promotion of certain members of chambers can steer clients towards choosing them to undertake work and means that incoming work does not count as unassigned. It is difficult to monitor in a meaningful way given the number of factors which affect work allocation but chambers do their best. Self-employed barrister Junior male Members of Chambers are promoted and supported to get their names 'out there' in a way that female Members of Chambers are not, so that even before the work is assigned, there is discrimination at play. Self-employed barrister 30. The majority of self-employed respondents (71.6%) had not queried how work had been allocated to them. Respondents whose chambers did not monitor the allocation of unassigned work were significantly more likely to question the process (39.4%) than those whose chambers did monitor the allocation of unassigned work (23.7%) or those who were unaware if unassigned work allocation was monitored or not (26.9%). Respondents under 5 years of Call were also significantly less likely to query work allocation than other respondents only 13.6% of those under five years of call had queried work allocation, compared to 27.3% across the sample as a whole. Have you questioned or queried the work that has been allocated to you or the process by which it was allocated to you? Don't know No Yes N=1047 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 31. Respondents who had queried the allocation of work were asked what the results of their query had been. Responses were broadly equally split between those who were positive about the response to their query, and those who were negative. A small number of respondents stated that the issue was currently ongoing or that the results of their query were currently inconclusive. A small number of responses (approximately 5%) stated that their query into work allocation had resulted in a temporary improvement but that the change had not been sustained. Work allocated to me increased briefly and tailed off again. Self-employed barrister 32. The most common negative issue - raised by over half of those who felt their query had not been dealt with positively - was that they had not been provided with a suitable explanation, or enough information relating to work allocation. Some respondents stated that querying work allocation had actually resulted in a change for the worse. The person I queried it with initially denied that there was any policy relating to the allocation of work. Whilst they eventually conceded that there was a policy in place, they did not deal with my substantive question about whether or not the policy was actually being implemented. Self-employed barrister 14

15 Clerks are very reluctant to give information on work allocation - the culture in chambers is such that it is seen as difficult or disrespecting the clerks if you ask questions about this. Self-employed barrister The clerks stopped briefing me entirely and did not speak to me when I went in to the clerks room. Self-employed barrister 33. The most common positive response to allocation queries cited by over half of those who were satisfied by the response to their query - was that respondents had been provided with a satisfactory explanation, either for a particular issue they had raised or around work allocation more generally. Over a quarter of those who were satisfied with the response to their query noted that practices had improved after they queried work allocation. I found I was allocated work with the same regularity as other members of chambers. There was no 'unfair' or 'unequal' treatment. Self-employed barrister I queried the allocation having returned from maternity leave. Once queried, I did have a significant increase in work. Self-employed barrister 15

16 Flexible Working Key Findings Flexible Working The majority of respondents organisations had a flexible working policy in place. In addition, the majority of respondents rated their organisation s policy highly. A substantial proportion of self-employed barristers were unaware whether their chambers had a flexible working policy however, awareness was far higher for those who were more likely to require flexible working, such as those with caring responsibilities. The majority of respondents had not requested flexible working. However, among those whose organisation had flexible working policies in place, or who had caring responsibilities for children, the majority had requested flexible working. The majority of those who had worked flexibly felt it had helped them to remain at the Bar, but were far less positive about the impact on their career progression. Three fifths of those who had experience of flexible working felt it had negatively impacted on their practice, with an impact on work allocation or progression the most common issues. Impact on income was the most common reason given for not working flexibly. Also mentioned were the incompatibility of flexible working with court timetables and negative attitudes from clients or chambers towards those who worked flexibly. 34. The BSB s Equality Rules require that each chambers has a flexible working policy which covers the right of a member of chambers or employee to take a career break, to work part-time, to work flexible hours or to work from home so as to enable them to manage their family responsibilities or disability without giving up work. Employed barristers are covered by the legislation relating to the entitlement to request flexible working arrangements. 35. The survey asked respondents whether their current chambers or organisation had a flexible working policy and their experiences of flexible working. The majority of respondents worked at a chambers or organisation that had a flexible working policy. However, responses to this question varied significantly across different practising statuses. While 88.5% of employed barristers and 92.3% of dual capacity respondents said their chambers or organisation had a flexible working policy, this dropped to 58.4% of self-employed barristers. For self-employed respondents, 31.3% were not aware if their chambers had a flexible working policy, and 10.2% said their chambers did not have a flexible working policy. Responses to this question also differed significantly by seniority by year of Call, with more senior barristers less likely to be unaware of their organisation s policy 21% of respondents of 15+ years of Call were unaware whether their organisation had a flexible working policy compared to 34% of those under 15 years of Call. 16

17 Does your current chambers/organisation have a flexible working policy? Don't know No Yes 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% N= The majority of respondents whose organisation had a flexible working policy rated it positively, with 58.3% rating the policy as good or excellent and only 6.6% rating the policy as poor or very poor. How would you rate your current flexible working policy? Don't know N=818 Excellent Good Satisfactory Poor Very poor 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 37. The majority of respondents (58.3%) had not asked to work flexibly. However, for respondents whose organisation had a flexible working policy, 51.1% stated they had requested flexible working, compared to 28.2% of those whose organisation did not have a flexible working policy, and 24.9% of those who did not know if their organisation had a flexible working policy or not. Respondents who were self-employed were significantly less likely to have requested flexible working - 38% of self-employed respondents had requested flexible working, compared to 57% of employed respondents. 38. The most common reason given for respondents requesting flexible working is because of caring responsibilities for children (see paragraph 44). Respondents with primary caring responsibilities for children were significantly more likely to have requested flexible working at the Bar (64.6%) compared to of those who were not the primary carer for a child (24.5% of whom had requested flexible working). 39. Respondents who had requested flexible working had done so both before and after the Equality Rules were introduced, with roughly equal proportions having requested flexible working before and after the introduction of a flexible working requirement in the BSB s rules. There was no significant difference between employed and self-employed barristers in the proportions giving each response. 17

18 Did you apply for flexible working before or after the equality rules were introduced in 2012? Both before and after the rules were introduced N=532 After the rules were introduced Before the rules were introduced 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 40. Respondents who had applied for flexible working were also asked about the outcome of their application. The vast majority of responses to this question stated that respondents had been able to work flexibly (over 85%). Close to one in four of those who were able to work flexibly said that their flexible working arrangements were an informal arrangement related to their self-employed status and discussions within chambers rather than a formal application. It is automatic under chambers constitution. I was lucky enough to have an incredibly supportive female head of chambers and a reasonably supportive clerk. Self-employed barrister, applied for flexible working after the rules were introduced I was allowed to have one day a week out of court for 12 months following the birth of my second child and my rent went from a fixed rent to a percentage. Employed barrister, applied for flexible working before the rules were introduced There was no formal application for flexible working. Members who wish to work parttime or more flexibly can do so by liaising with the clerks or marking days out in their diary. This system works well. Self-employed barrister 41. A number of respondents (one in seven) described issues with their attempt to work flexibly. Some applications were denied, and some respondents were not offered rent reductions which made flexible working effectively impractical for them. Other issues raised were an impact on work allocation, or that flexible working was impractical due to the requirements of court work or criminal practice. I was told that chambers did not view it as possible to practise part time. Selfemployed barrister, applied for flexible working before the rules were introduced Told I could have time off but I had to pay full rent and commission to chambers whilst not working for the period. Self-employed barrister, applied for flexible working both before and after the rules were introduced The quality of my work deteriorated and the senior clerk misinformed solicitors about my availability. Self-employed barrister, applied for flexible working before the rules were introduced Chambers responses were fine - the problem is not in chambers it is in court where judges sit late. Self-employed barrister, applied for flexible working both before and after the rules were introduced 18

19 42. The majority of respondents who had applied for flexible working felt that it had helped them to remain at the Bar, with 68.8% either agreeing or strongly agreeing. However, 10.6% either disagreed or strongly disagreed that flexible working had helped them to remain at the Bar. Responses to this question differed significantly for self-employed and employed barristers, with 73.3% of self-employed respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing, compared to 49% of employed respondents. To what extent would you agree that flexible working has helped you to remain at the Bar? N=519 Strongly disagree Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 43. In contrast, respondents were far less positive about the impact of flexible working in supporting their progression at the Bar, with over a third of respondents (33.8%) disagreeing or strongly disagreeing that flexible working had helped their progression at the Bar, and only 25.6% agreeing or strongly agreeing. To what extent would you agree that flexible working has helped your progression at the Bar? N=523 Strongly disagree Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 44. Respondents who had applied for flexible working were most likely to give caring for children (73.2%) or caring for other family members (15.1%) as their reason for doing so. Alongside sabbatical leave and secondment, the most common Other reason given was for health reasons, mentioned by 7.7% of respondents. 19

20 What reasons have prompted you to work flexibly? N=533 Other Secondment Sabbatical leave Caring responsibilities for others e.g. family members Caring responsibilities for children 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 45. Respondents were also asked about the impact flexible working had had on their practice. Over 60% of responses cited negative impacts on their practice or progression. The most common impact cited was an impact on the quality or quantity of work they received (mentioned in one in five responses) or an impact on their career progression (one in six responses). Over one in ten responses highlighted negative attitudes towards flexible working (from chambers, clients or clerks) as an issue that contributed to problems with flexible working. A smaller proportion (around one in twenty responses) stated that they had left self-employed practice entirely and moved to the employed Bar in response to the issues they experienced with flexible working. When I was working flexibly the quality and quantity of work nosedived. This lasted even after I came back to work full time. Self-employed barrister, applied for flexible working before the rules were introduced [It has] severely curtailed any possibility of building or advancing my career. It has essentially enabled me to keep a toe-hold at the Bar until I can give more. Self-employed barrister, applied for flexible working after the rules were introduced Clerks did not believe I was committed to [my] practice on return and the quality of work was poor on return. Self-employed barrister, applied for flexible working before the rules were introduced The downside is that I don't feel able to admit to the fact that I work flexibly, because part timers are not taken seriously in my line of work. Self-employed barrister, applied for flexible working both before and after the rules were introduced I left practice as a self-employed barrister because there was no flexible working possible and have gone into the employed bar solely because flexible working is available, common and accepted. Employed barrister, applied for flexible working after the rules were introduced 46. However, 40% of responses were largely positive about the impact of flexible working. One in four respondents stated that flexible working had not negatively impacted on their practice, and one in seven stated that being able to work flexibly had enabled them to continue as a barrister. I do not feel that my practice has suffered: I have exactly the amount of work that I require, and of a nature appropriate to my Call and experience. Self-employed barrister, applied for flexible working after the rules were introduced 20

21 It would be impossible for me to continue my career at the Bar without being able to work flexibly. Self-employed barrister, applied for flexible working before the rules were introduced 47. Respondents who had not applied for flexible working were most likely to give caring for children as a reason they might wish to do so (60.4%). However, alternative reasons were more likely to be mentioned compared to the reasons given by those who had worked flexibly in the past (see paragraph 44), with 46.2% giving sabbatical leave and 30.3% giving secondment as reasons they would like to work flexibly. For what reasons (if any) might you like to work flexibly? N=651 Other Secondment Sabbatical leave Caring responsibilities for others e.g. family members Caring responsibilities for children 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 48. Respondents who had never requested flexible working were asked if there had been any factors which had prevented them from doing so. Over 45% of respondents stated there was nothing that had prevented them from flexible working, but they had not applied for it, either as informal arrangements gave them enough flexibility or because they had no particular need to work flexibly. My chambers supports me in managing my own time. I have never requested flexible working but, if I am not in court, my time is my own. Self-employed barrister Not at this stage. My practice means that I have a good balance of court work and paperwork. Self-employed barrister 49. However, a number of responses mentioned issues that had prevented them from flexible working. The most common issue raised was concern around the impact it would have on income, given by more than one in five respondents. A significant proportion of those who raised concerns around income raised the issue of fixed chambers expenses as a reason why flexible working was impractical. Chambers insist I have a room and pay expenses whether I am working or not. I would have to give notice and hope I can get a tenancy a few years later. Self-employed barrister 50. After income concerns, the most common factors that had prevented respondents from working flexibly were the problems with accommodating the demands of courtroom practice (particularly for the criminal Bar) and timetables with flexible working arrangements, and the attitudes taken towards flexible working within chambers and among solicitors and lay clients, both mentioned by over one in ten of respondents. Less commonly mentioned were concerns over work allocation, a negative impact on career progression, the availability of valuable support in chambers that would not be available elsewhere, or that requests to work flexibly had been rejected by chambers. 21

22 Once criminal trials start in court they go on until they finish, every day. It is extremely difficult to control one's work and full time child care is required when kids are under school age. Self-employed Queen s Counsel Courts do not operate at the convenience of counsel. Hearings regularly get delayed - not by minutes but by hours - and a lot of time is spent waiting at court. Self-employed barrister Any woman in chambers who expresses a wish to work flexibly is frowned upon and does not get work from Silks. We have a policy in place - but the implementation and execution of the policy is non-existent. Self-employed barrister I would be worried about being seen as someone who did not take their career seriously and so being less likely to receive time consuming or trickier work in the future. Self-employed barrister 22

23 Maternity/Parental Leave Key Findings Maternity/Parental Leave The vast majority of respondents organisations had a maternity/parental leave policy in place, with only a small proportion stating that a policy was not in place or they were unaware of it. Most respondents rated their organisation s maternity/parental leave policy positively. The majority of respondents were positive about the level of support they received from their organisation both before, during and after their maternity/parental leave. Respondents who took maternity/parental leave after the BSB s Equality Rules were introduced were more likely to be positive about the level of support they received before and during their maternity/parental leave. One in four who had taken maternity/parental leave said it had had not had a negative impact on their practice, but some cut their leave short to achieve this. Close to three in four cited negative impacts, however, with impact on work allocation and career progression the most common issues cited. Lack of support from chambers and negative attitudes from chambers and clients towards those returning from maternity/parental leave were mentioned as issues by many respondents. The difficulty of combining practice with caring responsibilities for children was mentioned by many respondents. 51. Maternity/parental leave refers to leave taken by the main carer of a child following birth or adoption. The employed Bar are covered by legislation relating to parental leave in the UK. Self-employed barristers are not covered by employment law and the BSB s Equality Rules require barristers to ensure chambers has a parental leave policy which must cover, as a minimum: the right of a member of chambers to return to chambers after a specified period (which must be at least one year) of parental or adoption leave; the extent to which a member of chambers is or is not required to contribute to chambers rent and expenses during parental leave; the method of calculation of any waiver, reduction or reimbursement of chambers rent and expenses during parental leave; where any element of rent is paid on a flat rate basis, the chambers policy must as a minimum provide that chambers will offer members taking a period of parental leave, or leave following adoption, a minimum of 6 months free of chambers rent; the procedure for dealing with grievances under the policy; chambers commitment to regularly review the effectiveness of the policy; 52. The survey asked respondents about their chambers or organisation s maternity/parental leave policies and if they had experience of taking maternity/parental leave while at the Bar. A substantial majority of respondents stated that their organisation had a maternity/parental leave policy (83.1%). However, responses varied dependant on the practising status of respondents. Self-employed barristers in chambers were significantly more likely to be unaware whether their organisation had a maternity/parental leave policy (14.6%) than employed barristers (3.6%). Responses to this question also differed significantly by year of Call, with more senior barristers less likely to be unaware of their organisation s policy 8% of respondents of 25+ years of 23

24 Call were unaware whether their organisation had a maternity/parental leave policy compared to 21.6% of those under 5 years of Call. Similarly, the proportion of those with primary caring responsibilities for children who were unaware of their organisation s maternity/parental policy was significantly lower (at 8%) than for respondents who did not have primary caring responsibilities for children (16.6%). Does your current chambers/organisation have a maternity/parental leave policy? 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Self-employed Employed Overall Yes No Don't know N= % of respondents whose organisation had a maternity/parental leave policy rated it as good or excellent, with only 5.3% of respondents rating the policy as poor or very poor. There were significant differences in responses to this question depending on whether an organisation had consulted on its equality policy or not (see paragraph 74). For respondents whose organisation had consulted, 67.2% rated their maternity/parental leave policy as good or excellent, whereas for organisations that had not consulted 28.4% rated the policy good or excellent. How would you rate your current maternity/parental leave policy? Not applicable N=1096 Don't know Excellent Good Satisfactory Poor Very poor 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% % of respondents had never taken maternity/parental leave at the Bar. There was a significant difference in responses to this question between respondents whose organisation had a maternity/parental leave policy (50.5% of whom had never taken maternity/parental leave), those whose current organisation did not have a 24

25 maternity/parental leave policy (60.4% of whom had never taken maternity/parental leave) and respondents who did not know whether or not their organisation had a maternity/parental leave policy (76% of whom had never taken maternity/parental leave). In contrast, there was no significant difference in responses related to respondent s current status as employed or self-employed barristers. How many times have you taken maternity/parental leave while at the Bar? More than once N=1327 Once Never 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 55. Unsurprisingly, responses for this question differed significantly dependent on whether respondents were currently primary carers for children, with 90.4% of those with primary caring responsibilities for children having taken maternity/parental leave at least once while at the Bar. In contrast, only 11% of those who were not a primary carer for children had taken maternity/parental leave % of respondents who had applied for maternity/parental leave did so before the equality rules were introduced. Only 1.3% of respondents had taken maternity/parental leave both before and after the equality rules were introduced, with the remainder (29.9%) taking maternity/parental leave after the introduction of the rules. 57. Respondents were generally positive about the level of support they had received from their organisation prior to taking maternity/parental leave, with 53.7% rating the level of support as either good or excellent. However, there were differences in responses to this question dependent on whether they took maternity/parental leave before or after the Equality Rules were introduced. Those who took maternity/parental leave after the Rules were introduced were more likely to rate the level of support as good or excellent (62.1%) than those who took maternity/parental leave before the rules were introduced (49.9%). 25